Mortal Kombat: Rebirth
by SpinoGuy
Summary: Hanzo Hasashi, alias Scorpion, has just been released from prison to participate in an underground tournament. The blind swordsman Kenshi is a police officer out for revenge. Kurtis Stryker is his partner, caught in the middle of all of this. Kung Lao, a former Shaolin monk. All four of these men have something in common. The fighting abilities. Mortal Kombat begins. Now.
1. Chapter 1

A man in NYPD black body armor was in the middle of a New York apartment. He was in a meditating pose, and had a peaceful expression on his face. Slowly, he got enveloped in a blue aura, and slowly lifted up. He was about a foot off the ground, when he heard a knock. He looked towards his door, and said, "Come in."

A man in matching body armor walked in, but he wore a cap with NYPD on it. He said, "Chief wants us." The first man nodded, and slowly floated back to the ground. The second man handed him four red pads, which he put on his knees and elbows.

He then grabbed something wrapped in cloth, and gave it to the first man. The first man grabbed it, and said, "Thank you, Stryker."

Kurtis Stryker nodded, and said, "Come on, we'll take my car. I'll drive."

They walked out of the apartment, and headed for a police station. The first man looked ahead, and Stryker said, "We've finally got a lead on the underground mob boss, Shang Tsung. We've found him conversing with Shao Kahn, about some underground tournament. Looks like the old bastard's still at it."

The man nodded, and took out a blindfold. He wrapped it around his eyes, and said, "Do we know where he is?"

Stryker said, "No, but we do know where his cronies are. We found Baraka at a hotel, which makes one wonder why the hell he's there. Anyway, we sent Cage to find out what's up. Turns out he's a pretty good fighter."

The first man raised an eyebrow and said, "Cage? As in Johnny Cage?"

"Yeah, the actor. He thought it would revive his film career. I thought it was stupid as all hell, but a least we found out some good stuff. Like some guy nicknamed Reptile. He has a rare disease where his skin looks like diamond-shaped scales, and his eyeslids are formed inside out," replied Stryker.

The blindfolded man chuckled, "Is that all?"

Stryker continued, "No, he also eats the heads of his victims."

The man's grin disappeared, and said, not wishing to continue this discussion "What does Briggs want?"

"Said he plans on releasing a prisoner. Hanzo, I think," replied the NYPD officer.

"Why the fuck would he release that psycho," asked the blind man.

Stryker shrugged, and pulled up into the police station. They both walked out, and went to Briggs office. The black chief said, "Hello boys, just in time. Stryker, I want you to go to this location." He handed Stryker a piece of paper, and showed a decapitated man.

"Who is this," asked Stryker.

Briggs said, "That was Johnny Cage. He had a run in with Baraka."

Stryker's eyes went wide, and said, "Right away, sir. Here's your photo back." He handed his chief the photo back, and walked back out.

The chief looked back at the blindfolded man and said, "I want you to watch over Hanzo Hasashi. I don't want him doing anything stupid, like getting thrown in jail again."

The man nodded, and slowly began walking out. Briggs stopped him and said, "I'm not done. Yet. You will also be going to the tournament with him. However, I don't want Hanzo knowing, understand?"

"As long as I get my vengeance on Shang Tsung, I'll do whatever you want," said the blindfolded man.

Briggs said, "You'll get your revenge, but not until Hanzo gets his."

The man said, "You mean that Bi-Han guy? I don't give a rat's ass what he does to him. I just want Tsung to suffer for what he did to my eyes."

Briggs slowly nodded, and motioned for him to get out. He walked out, and looked over to the interrogation room. Inside, he heard a man in an orange prison suit shrouded in darkness tapping his foot. Hanzo. The man grinned, and walked out.

He stopped when he got out, and unwrapped the clothed. He looked at it, and said, "That's much better."

It was a katana. Not just any katana, it was the legendary Sento blade. Carved over three hundred years ago, it was a symbol for the user's abiltiy with a sword. He put the strap around his waist, and put it behind him.

A little child began pulling on his arm. He said, "What is it little girl?"

She pointed up and said, "Why do you wear a blindfold?"

"Because I'm blind, that's why," replied the man, finally kneeling next to the little girl.

She then asked, "Are you a police officer?"

He nodded, and said, "Yes, I am."

She then held out her hand, and said, "My name is Sarah."

He shook the hand, smiled, and said, "My name's Kenshi."

* * *

A/N: I can already tell this story has divided people. On one hand, I mentioned Kenshi's original story, where he was blinded by Shang Tsung. On the other hand, he's in the NYPD. And, as you can already tell, this is in the Rebirth story line, so there's that. And yes, I will basically be writing the Rebirth movie, minus the Cage and Baraka fight, next chapter. So, hope you enjoy it, and this story is dedicated to an awesome girl (hopefully, otherwise, why'd he name himself), Poe's Daughter. She's an awesome writer, and I beg you to read her stuff. It's really good. It is fan-fucking-tastic.

Spino, out.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a shitty day in New York, also called Decon City. But that wan't unnatural. It was always like that from pollution, to the weather, and Mayor Muldoon's fuck ups. The police station was a riot, after hearing about the release of one of the most dangerous prisoners they have. Several police officers went up to Captain Jackson Briggs, and told him to stop this stupid ass idea. He wouldn't listen. He insisted on releasing this man because he didn't act like a killer. He was a killer. A monster even. He didn't want a first offender out there. He wanted a cold blooded killer, who has no humanity.

Captain Briggs was in the middle of a discussion talking with the prisoner, who was shrouded in darkness. After he had finished discussing the cannibal, Reptile, he then told how Johnny Cage had infiltrated Baraka's hideout, and fought him. But he lost. The prisoner closed the folder that contained the photo of the decapitated Cage, and looked up at Briggs. The Captain had taken out another folder, and told the prisoner about the man who would be setting up the tournament.

Briggs pulled out a folder, and looked at the man. "We have reason to believe this man," Briggs said, throwing the folder over the prisoner, and it showed a middle-aged man with short black hair, an expensive tuxedo, and a strange mark on his right hand, "Shang Tsung, may be behind each killer. The night before Johnny Cage was murdered, he told us about a tournament this Shang Tsung is planning, some underground death match between the world's top fighters. Serial killers, assassins," Briggs looked up at the man, and continued, "which brings me to you."

The prisoner remained silent, and Briggs said, "Hanzo Hasashi. Before your incarceration, you were the top assassin of the Shirai Ryu, the most lethal ninja clan in Japan." The prisoner remained silent, and then Briggs continued, "We want to put you back out on the streets. If this tournament exists, it's our one shot to take out Baraka, Reptile and the other maniacs who've turned this city into a killing field. We want you to join the tournament, and we want you to win it. We want you to do what you do best: kill them all."

Hanzo Hasashi finally replied, in a low, harsh voice, "You seem to know a great deal about me. Then you must know that I surrendered my freedom voluntarily. Now what you don't seem to know is that I can have I freedom back, whenever I choose." The handcuffs restraining him dropped to the floor. He folded his free hands on the table, and continued, "So tell me, Detective Briggs, what could you possibly offer me in exchange for my help?"

The door behind Briggs opened, and a twenty-something year old woman walked in. Captain Briggs said, "Sonya Blade. Perfect timing."

Detective Sonya Blade walked up to Hanzo and presented a folder. She sat in a chair to his right, folded her hands, and said, "Sub-Zero."

Hanzo chuckled, and said, "That man is dead."

Sonya retorted, "These pictures were taken yesterday."

Hanzo's head shot up, and looked at Sonya. He then looked back at the folder, and slowly opened it. It contained a picture of Hanzo's rival. Bi-Han. Better known a Sub-Zero. But Hanzo knew him as the man who killed his family. Sonya smiled and said, "The man you killed was his brother."

Hanzo shook his head in disbelief and replied, "No, impossible."

Sonya then said, "Sub-Zero is alive and well, and will be at that tournament." Hanzo looked at the pictures intently, starting to realize his mistake. "You want him," said Sonya, "you got him."

Hanzo slammed the folder on the table, and began to walk out.

He barely heard Sonya say, "Leave no survivors. Understand? None."

Hanzo opened the door, and Briggs shot out of his chair and said, "Hasashi, are you listening? Find Shang Tsung and finish him."

Hanzo stopped and said, "Hanzo Hasashi is dead." Briggs wore a look of confusion on his face.

"My name," declared Hanzo, as he slowly turned around, revealing pure, pupil-less eyes...

"is Scorpion."

* * *

Scorpion walked out of the police station, wearing a gray hoodie, with the hood pulled up over his eyes. He began walking down the street, when he ran into someone. The man fell down, and said, "Watch where you're going, will ya?"

Scorpion chuckled, and said, "Do I look like I give a shit?" He then looked down, and saw the man was blindfolded. Scorpion raised an eyebrow, and put his hand out to help the man up.

The blindfolded man said, "You do realize I can't see where your hand is, right?"

Scorpion grinned and said, "How do you know I put my hand out then?"

The man replied, "I heard it."

Scorpion's eyes widened with surprise and said, "How the hell did you hear that?"

The man got up, and said, "When I was blinded, something happened. I can't explain it, it's like the sword gave me extra abilities. It increased my other senses, so that I could do what no other blind man could."

Scorpion's eyes narrowed at the mention of Shang Tsung's name, and said, "Shang Tsung did that to you? Why doesn't that surprise me?"

The man looked it the direction he heard the voice, and said, "You know about Shang Tsung?"

Scorpion grinned, and said, "Yes. In fact, I was just released from prison to find him and kill him"

"Hanzo Hasashi," the man said.

Scorpion looked at him with surprise showing all over his face. "How do you know my name?"

"Because," The blindfolded man said, "I'm an NYPD officer. Kenshi's the name. And I was also supposed to find Shang Tsung with you."

Scorpion grinned and said, "I guess Briggs didn't trust me."

Kenshi said, "Guess not. Listen, I'm gonna make you a deal. You can stay at me and Stryker's apartment until we find Shang Tsung."

Scorpion put his chin in his hand, slightly showing his bone white eyes. He then looked back at Kenshi and said, "You got a deal. And I have a question for you. Why do you carry around that sword? It's not like you can see what you're doing."

Kenshi nodded and said, "Like I said, heightened senses. I can now hear where my opponent is. It's almost like I can see, but I can't make out details."

Scorpion threw a punch, but Kenshi grabbed the fist that was coming at him. Scorpion grinned, and retracted his fist. "Told ya," Kenshi replied.

Scorpion asked, "So where is this apartment of yours?"

Kenshi said, "Follow me."

Scorpion chuckled and said, "Never thought I'd follow a blind man."

Kenshi then grinned, and said, "I know my way around Decon City better than most people."

Scorpion then said, "Lead the way."

* * *

Next time, on Mortal Kombat: Rebirth:

The corrupted Shaolin Monks must choose a representative to attend Shang Tsung's tournament, in order to stay in Decon City.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed, and don't worry, the tournament will happen in a couple of chapters, but first, we have to introduce more characters. And next chapter will be our first fight. Yay! Also, thanks goes to Poe's Daughter who suggested that I change the rating from M to T for the time being. Enjoy.

Spino, out.


	3. Chapter 3

Three months ago,

Kung Lao, a man in his late twenties, with short, black hair, and a hat with a razor sharp blade on its rim. He was currently sharpening his hat, when his longtime friend and ally, Liu Kang, walked into his little room in the apartment the Shaolin call their dojo. When Kung Lao heard the door open, he looked up and grimaced. Liu Kang grinned and said, "Good morning to you, too. What do you think the masters' decision will be for Shang Tsung's tournament?"

Kung Lao, not once looking up from sharpening his hat, replied, "I could care less." Liu Kang was shocked. Never had he heard Kung Lao say anything that disrespectful about the masters. But before Liu Kang could reply, Kung Lao looked up, and sighed. He said, "You know what? I do care. I care because I think that the Shaolin have lost their ways."

Liu Kang scoffed in disgust and said, "How could you say such a thing? The Shaolin are a group of proud and honorable monks. We fight for justice, free will, and—"

"Let me stop you there, Liu," interrupted Kung Lao. "We are not honorable. We don't fight for justice. And we defiantly don't fight for free will. The Shaolin were once a proud and noble group. Remember when we join back in China? Before we moved to America? We had some sense of honor. We weren't perfect, but nothing is. But it was better than now."

"The Shaolin were weak, Kung Lao," answered Liu Kang. "This city, and people like Kano, helped mold us into true warriors. Now, we are the top predators in the world, second only to the Lin Keui!"

Kung Lao burst out in laughter. "I wish we were compared to the Shirai Ryu. At least they do not slaughter innocent civilians."

"Are you talking about that," Liu Kang asked. "That was years ago! Forget about that! They meant nothing to us. Forget them."

Kung Lao got up, and said, "I think you should leave Liu Kang."

"I was thinking the same thing about you," replied Liu Kang.

Kung Lao narrowed his eyes, and threw a right fist directly into Liu Kang's nose. Liu Kang stumbled back and put his hand to his nose. He looked and saw blood. He let out an inhuman snarl, and spear tackled Kung Lao. He began punching Kung Lao's gut, but the hat-bearing Shaolin monk wouldn't tolerate it. He grabbed the next punch, and countered with his own. Liu Kang stumbled off, and then snap kicked Kung Lao in the gut. He doubled over in pain, but proceeded to tackle him through the wall, leading out to the hallway.

Several monks stopped and watch the brawl, but soon ran off to get some masters. Kung Lao began punching Liu Kang in the nose. Liu Kang then punched him in the groin, and backhanded him. Kung Lao propped himself up on a wall, holding his groin. Liu Kang then roundhouse kicked Kung Lao in the face. He then picked him up by the neck, and ruthlessly pounded his face in. Kung Lao then grabbed one of the punches and threw a left directly in Liu Kang's temple.

Liu Kang let go, and held his bleeding ear. When he looked back up a Kung Lao, he barely saw the fist flying at his face. He was knocked back several feet, and was now up against a wall. Kung Lao then said, "I didn't want to do this, Liu. I just let my anger get the better of me. I'm sorry."

Liu Kang then said, "No, you're not. Not yet." Liu Kang then grabbed one of the swords hanging from the wall, and told Kung Lao, "You will pay for disrespecting our masters."

Kung Lao then yelled, "They have lost the error of their ways. It's not my fault this city is like a sickness. It infected our ideals, and turned us into monsters."

Liu Kang let out a snarl, and began swing the sword in clumsy motions. Kung Lao dodged them all, and then punched Liu Kang in the face again. Liu Kang then side kicked Kung Lao in the stomach. Kung Lao fell on his back, and rolled out of the way when Liu Kang slammed the sword down, aiming for Kung Lao's head. Kung Lao then did a kip-up, and got into a fighting stance similar to a mantis. Liu Kang evilly grinned, and charged Kung Lao. The short haired Shaolin dodged every sword swipe, and kicked Liu Kang's feet from under him.

Liu Kang's breath got knocked out of his lungs, and began trying to breath in air. Kung Lao walked over to him, and punched him in the back of the skull, knocking him back to the floor. Kung Lao then dropped to Liu Kang's fight, and checked his body for any broken bones. He flipped Liu Kang on his back and saw his nose purple and swollen, defiantly broken.

Just as Kung Lao was about to help him up, Liu Kang's eyes shot open, and head-butted Kung Lao. Kung Lao stumbled back, and he fell down. Liu Kang grinned, and then said, "That is what you get. You never disrespect us. You are not worthy of the name Shaolin." He then grabbed Kung Lao by the collar of his shirt, and looked him in the eye. "I would throw you out that window if it weren't for our friendship," said Liu Kang, "but I will punish you."

He threw Kung Lao across the hall. The defeated Shaolin monk stopped sliding at a robed man's feet. He looked up, and saw the grandmaster looking down on him. Kung Lao slowly got up, and looked the old man in the eye. The grandmaster said, "You dare look me in the eye. You truly are disrespectful."

"At least I don't kill children," said Kung Lao.

The grandmaster laughed, and said, "We do not concern ourselves with collateral."

Kung Lao then said, "They aren't collateral. They are human lives. What happened to when we actually gave a damn about life?"

"We were weak. But now, since we moved our headquarters to this city, we have no moral obligations to human life. Liu Kang," said the grandmaster, pointing to Liu Kang, "understands this. He is a vicious animal. You must let go of our old ways, Kung Lao. Only then will you survive in this harsh environment."

Kung Lao then said, "I like to think that, because I have morals, I am still alive."

The grandmaster said, "Get your stuff, and get out. You are no longer a Shaolin Monk."

"I have everything I need on my body, you piece of shit motherfucker," said Kung Lao.

He grabbed it hat, put it on his head, and, shocking everyone present, spat blood in the grandmasters face. Liu Kang rushed to the grandmaster, only to be stopped. The grandmaster grinned, and said, "You have fight in you, Kung Lao. Never in my years have I seen someone as rebellious as you. While you are no longer Shaolin, you will always have a place in our hearts as the very first traitor."

Kung Lao then said, "I heard, that the deeper a bow, the more respect you have for someone. Is this true?" The grandmaster nodded, and then Kung Lao said, "Then this is how much I respect you." He slightly, ever so slightly, bowed his head. The motion was so subtle, that the grandmaster barely saw it. Kung Lao then walked out of the hotel, leaving several stunned members of the Shaolin.

Only the grandmaster had a smile on his face.

* * *

Present day,

Kung Lao was in a shitty bar, in a shitty city, with his shitty life. He tapped his glass on the counter, and the bartender filled it up again. He heard the door open, and looked to see a man with a man in a white insane asylum dressing, brown trench coat, and a straw hat on walked up to him. The man told the bartender, "Coke, please." He then looked at Kung Lao, and said, "Rough night?"

Kung Lao looked over, and answered, "Rough life."

The man nodded his head, and drank the coke that the bartender gave him. He looked at Kung Lao again, and said, "You're one of the Shaolin, aren't you?"

Kung Lao let out an amused sigh, and replied, "I was. The Shaolin and I had a bit of a falling out."

The strange man then said, "What if, say, there was a tournament that you could partake in that would grant you riches beyond your wildest imaginations."

"I'd say, 'You're crazy.'" replied Kung Lao, "and then, 'Go fuck yourself.'"

The man nodded again and said, "Have you ever heard of Shang Tsung?"

Kung Lao said, "Yes, I have. And I know about that fucking tournament, and the fact that it's a fight to the death. So I say again, go fuck yourself."

"There are several men outside, searching for you," said the man. "They wish to arrest you for when you kicked the crap out of Liu Kang."

Kung Lao looked over and said, "You must've read the wrong newspaper, pal. I lost."

"No, you didn't, my friend," replied the man, "you won your freedom. You are no longer shackled by the Shaolin."

Kung Lao then said, "Who the fuck are you, anyway?"

The man grinned, and answered, "My name is Raiden."

Kung Lao looked amused, and said, "Like the god of thunder?"

"Not exactly," replied Raiden. "I was merely nicknamed that in school for my fascination with electricity." He moved the left side of his trench coast showing ten tazers strapped to the inside. Kung Lao's eyes went wide, and he asked, "How the fuck did you get all those tazers?" Raiden grinned, and replied, "I have my ways."

The door opened again, and in walked a man in NYPD body armor and matching cap. He walked up to Kung Lao, and asked, "Are you Kung Lao?"

Kung Lao looked behind him, and replied, "Who want's to know?"

"My name is Kurtis Stryker," answered the officer. "And I have a warrant for your arrest."

Kung Lao swirled around in his chair, and said, "What if I bring you to Shang Tsung?"

Stryker raised his eyebrow, and said, "What do you know about Shang Tsung?"

"I know where the tournament is held every decade, and I can get whoever you want in," replied Kung Lao. "All I ask is that you let me fight so that I can regain my fallen honor."

Stryker said, "Tell me what you know."

* * *

Next time, on Mortal Kombat: Rebirth

The Lin Keui are a evil clan, and their grandmaster, Bi-Han, aka Sub-Zero, is just as ruthless.

* * *

A/N: As you can see, I probably suck at fights. However, I want this one to be brutal, and hopefully I fulfilled that for yall. That's right, I spoke like a Southerner, when I am from the cold, barren wasteland of Minnesota. I know nothing about Southern culture, I just wanted to be funny. I realize that I have failed.

Also, Sub-Zero is going to be an antagonist. That's how he was built up as in Rebirth, that's how he's going to be in this fanfic. And don't worry, he will have ice powers. I never said this wouldn't have at least some special powers.

Spino, out.

PS: It's cold in Minnesota.


	4. Chapter 4

In the center of Decon City laid a Japanese building. Inside that building housed the Lin Keui, the most deadly assassins in the world. Its grandmaster was an evil man. However, he had a kind face. He was of Asian descent, had short, black hair sharply cut, and wore traditional Lin Keui clothing. But his most striking feature was a long scar running down the right side of his face. It hadn't fully healed, but the man doubted it ever would. The scar was now a pink color, and ran from his forehead to his mouth. He was currently sitting in the middle of his room in the dojo, which was an actual dojo, unlike the Shaolin monks hotel.

He heard a knock at the door, and he said, "Come in."

One of the younger assassins, about nineteen or so, came in and spoke to Bi-Han. "We have captured some surviving Shirai Ryu."

Bi-Han stood up, and said, "Show me."

The younger man led Bi-Han down the dojo, into the holding cell were they keep the prisoners. He looked at the two men chained to the wall. He turned to the other man, and asked, "Why have they not been killed yet?"

The younger man spoke, "Well I-uh-Well, it's just-We thought you would want the honor."

"Did I not command every Shirai Ryu murdered instantly," asked Bi-Han. "And have you disobeyed that order?"

The younger man was about to speak, when Bi-Han punched him in the face. He turned to the other Lin Keui present, and said, "Let this be a lesson for all of you." He crouched down next to the man, who was begging for his life. Bi-Han grabbed his next, and pulled several times. On the third pull, the man's head was ripped off, as well as his spine. He held it up in the air, and said, "This is what will happen to you if you defy my orders, do you understand?"

Everyone nodded, but Bi-Han yelled, "Do you understand!?"

The other Lin Keui shouted, "Yes, grandmaster Bi-Han!"

Bi-Han grinned, and threw the head over his shoulder. He walked up to the cell, and spoke in the kindness of voices, and said, "I am not a monster, Shirai Ryu. When I slaughtered the clan, I was told by the Elder Gods to do so. They said do this, and ultimate power was yours. I didn't believe them, of course, but that doesn't mean I can have some fun. When I went to kill your clan, I specifically told my troops not to kill the children. They didn't listen, and I thought they shouldn't have all the fun. So, I kill your grandmaster's wife and child, personally. And after I made him witness the deaths of his family, I stabbed him."

The prisoner on the left shouted, "You're a monster!" Bi-Han grinned at that remark, and a blue mist began forming on his arms. He lifted his hands, and a ball began to form. The prisoner's eyes went wide, and he was about to shout something, when the ball shot towards the prisoner, and froze him solid. Bi-Han picked up a skull, and chucked it at the prisoner, breaking the frozen corpse into little ice shards.

He looked at the other prisoner and said, "You will not be able to die so quickly as your friend." He walked out of the room, grabbed the young man's head, and walked back to his room.

* * *

Scorpion awoke from his sleep. He was currently in Kenshi and Stryker's apartment, waiting for any news on Shang Tsung's whereabouts. He looked around the modest apartment, and got up. He walked over to the bathroom, and splashed water in his face. He looked in the mirror, and scowled at what he saw. He hated how his eyes no longer showed emotion. All they were were white. No color, no pupils, nothing. Yet how could he still see?

He felt a curse was put on him by the gods themselves. But he thought that was stupid. He didn't even believe in the gods. He lifted his shirt, and looked at his wound brought on by Bi-Han. _He thought he killed me?_ _He needs to think again._ He grabbed his hoodie, put it on, and pulled the hood over his head, making sure to see, but not see his eyes. He looked around, and saw Kenshi fast asleep on his chair with his blindfold still on. Scorpion walked to the door, and as quietly as he could, walked out.

He looked around the small hallway, and went to the elevator. He pushed the down button, and waited. _What the fuck is taking this so long_ thought Scorpion. When it finally reached his floor, two men came out. One was wearing NYPD body armor, the other was wearing ancient Shaolin clothing, and a hat with a razor sharp blade on it. He stopped in his tracks when the police officer whipped his gun out and pointed it at him.

A voice behind him said, "Going somewhere?"

He looked behind him and saw Kenshi with his arms crossed, and a smirk on his face. "You do realize the water woke me up, right," asked Kenshi.

Scorpion said, "I was just going to get some of my things."

"What kinda things," asked Stryker.

"Things I need for the tournament," replied Scorpion. "And who the fuck is this?"

"The name's Kung Lao," the drunken man slurred.

Scorpion rolled his eyes, although no one would be able to tell. He then continued to walk to the elevator, but was stopped by Kenshi. He looked back, and said, "Unless you want to lose that arm, I suggest letting go."

Kenshi replied, "I told Detective Briggs that I would watch you, so you don't get thrown in jail again. And Stryker, why did you bring Kung Lao here."

"He says he knows where Shang Tsung is," Strker replied. He looked over at Kung Lao, who was doing his best to stay up. "Although, I'm seriously doubting myself."

Scorpion then said, "Nobody gives a flying fuck. And Kenshi, if you're so goddamn worried about me, why don't you just come with? Trust me, I'm not going to kill anybody or rob any banks. I just need to get my gear."

Kenshi looked at the stone cold face of Scorpion. Clearly he was getting there one way or another. Kenshi rubbed his temples, and said, "Alright, you can get your shit. But I'm coming with you. Are we clear?"

Scorpion grinned and said, "Crystal."

Stryker then said, "Alright, while you two do that, I'm gonna put our guest here to bed. And then he's gonna take a shower."

Stryker got out of the elevator, while using his body as support for Kung Lao, and Kenshi and Scorpion got in. Scorpion pressed the GF button, and the elevator closed. Scorpion looked over to Kenshi and said, "You do realize I would've gotten there even if you didn't agree?" Kenshi nodded, and they continued to the ground floor.

* * *

Bi-Han was inside of a classy restaurant, eating as much as he could. After he cleaned his plate, he wiped his mouth with a napkin, and slowly got up. However, he was stopped when he saw a middle-aged man walked into the place. He smiled, and sat back down. The man came over, bowed, and sat down. He picked up a menu, and said, "It's been too long, Bi-Han."

Bi-Han grinned, and said, "It has Shang Tsung. Tell me, how are we doing in the running for me to be in your little... tournament?"

A waitress walked over, and asked the man, "Would you like anything?"

Shang Tsung replied, "I'll have the Filet Mignon." He looked over to Bi-Han, and continued, "You know that you are always in the tournament. However, I must tell you, you might have some competition this time, old friend."

Bi-Han handed the waitress his menu when he ordered the same thing, and said, "What kind of competition?"

Shang Tsung said, "Remember that Baraka fellow I took under my wing a few years ago?" Bi-Han nodded. Shang Tsung continued, "Well, he just killed the old actor Johnny Cage." Bi-Han raised an eyebrow at this, and Shang Tsung said, "After Baraka killed him, he came straight to me, and said he barely beat him. It took his blades to kill him. I don't know about you, old friend, but that's pretty impressive."

Bi-Han nodded, and said, "I just executed another Shirai Ryu dog. But, I also killed one of my own."

Shang Tsung leaned back in his chair, and said, "Tell me about it."

"He defied orders, so as I had to set an example for the others," replied Bi-Han. "So, tell me, who's all in the tournament?"

Shang Tsung took out a piece a paper, and handed it to Bi-Han. He traced his hand down the list, but stopped abruptly. He looked back at Shang Tsung, and asked, "What the fuck is this?"

Shang Tsung took the paper back and scanned it over. When he stopped, he looked back at Bi-Han, and said, "That's right, Bi-Han, he's still alive."

Bi-Han looked back at the waitress bringing their meals, and said, "Well, when the time comes, I'll just have to finish him off."

He got up, put a hundred dollar bill on the table, and left. When the waitress got there, she asked, "Where'd your friend go?"

Shang Tsung looked up, and said, "He has an appointment. Don't worry, I'll have his food."

* * *

Kenshi and Scorpion walked up to a bank. Scorpion looked around, making sure no one was following, and walked in. He looked at the person on the front counter, and asked, "Could I have Hanzo Hasashi's safety deposit box?"

The banker looked up, and said, "And you would be...?"

"Hanzo Hasashi."

The banker looked back at the computer and said, "I'm gonna need to see some identification, please."

Scorpion looked over at Kenshi, and back to the teller. He grinned, and said, "Alright. Here's my identification."

The banker looked up, and Scorpion pulled his hood off. The banker screamed, and said, "What the fuck is up with your eyes?"

Scorpion said, "Let's just say, I had a run in with the devil."

The banker nodded, and ran to the back. Kenshi looked at Scorpion, and asked, "What's wrong with your eyes?"

Scorpion looked at Kenshi and said, "I'll tell you later."

The banker came back and threw the box at Scorpion. Scorpion caught it, and walked back out. Kenshi took out a twenty and handed it to the banker. "Just don't tell anyone what you saw."

Kenshi ran after Scorpion, who was prying the top off of the box. When he finally got the top off, he look inside of it. Kenshi walked over, and asked, "What is it?"

Scorpion then pulled out his kunai with a rope attached to it, and said, "It's my baby."

* * *

Next time, on Mortal Kombat: Rebirth

The final stages to the tournament are being set.

* * *

A/N: Hoped you like it. And no, Bi-Han won't look the same as he did in that one shot in Rebirth. I'm gonna go with a more... klassic route. See what I did there? Anybody? No? Alright then.

EDIT: Yeah, I kinda described Kuai Liang's scar on his face because, in a later chapter, you will see how he got that scar. You probably already have an idea of who gave him that scar. And Kuai Liang won't be in this story. Maybe my next Mortal Kombat story will be about the more heroic Sub-Zero. This will be the antagonistic Sub-Zero.

Spino, out.


	5. Chapter 5

Scorpion was getting ready for the tournament. He had went to the bank, and had gotten his traditional Shirai Ryu combat gear. He had a black ninja suit, with yellow highlights on the suit. He put the mouth piece on, which had a mouth similar to a Chinese dragon, and pulled up the rest of the mask. He looked around, and walked out of the room Kenshi gave him to change. He looked at Stryker, who was watching over Kung Lao. Kenshi was currently loading several guns for Strker, and getting some extra firepower over the phone. Scorpion slipped on his wrist gauntlets, and pressed a button.

His kunai popped out. Scorpion grinned under his mask, and retracted the kunai spear tip. Kenshi had just cocked the last gun, and handed it to Stryker. Kung Lao tried to grab one of the guns, but Strker slapped his hand away. Scorpion walked up to Kenshi, and asked, "When the fuck are we leaving?"

Kenchi replied, "Not long. Just have to make a few final adjustments." He holstered a pistol, and sheathed his Sento blade. He looked over to where Scorpion's general direction was. "Let's go."

Stryker helped Kung Lao up, and they began walking out. But they were stopped by a knock at the door. Scorpion looked over to Kenshi, who merely shrugged. Stryker opened the door, and a man in a Chinese straw hat was standing there. Kung Lao spoke up, and in a drunken slur, said, "Wassup, Raiden?"

Raiden nodded to Kung Lao, and spoke to the men. "I know where Shang Tsung is hiding. However, he is guarded by many men, including members of the Lin Keui." Scorpion tensed up, but only Kenshi seemed to notice, but did not say anything. "What you will find at this underground tournament is death, destruction, and corruption. The have already corrupted half the city, and only one small part of the police force is left. And that is yours, Lieutenant Stryker."

Stryker asked, "How did you-" Kenshi elbowed him, and pointed to his badge. Stryker looked at it, and said, "Oh."

Raiden grinned, and said, "Shang Tsung's tournament is in the middle of Chinatown. If you go there, you will find many people trying to kill you. Just follow them. I will be watching over you, guiding you. Just remember, trust no one. Every one in that place has been corrupted by Shang Tsung's tyranny."

Scorpion finally spoke up, and asked, "How the holy hell do we know you're even telling the truth?"

Raiden looked over and said, "You'll just have to trust me."

He then reached into a coat pocket, and pulled out a little gray ball. He threw it on the ground, and a puff of smoke enveloped him. He disappeared with a smile. Scorpion dove into the smoke, but couldn't find him.

He looked back a Kenshi, but the swordsman shrugged, and walked out the door.

Kung Lao patted him on the back, and said, "I trust him."

Scorpion looked back, and said, "Yeah, well your drunker than Johnny Cage was in Ninja Mime."

Kung Lao looked on in confusion, but Scorpion merely walked away before Kung Lao could speak. Kung Lao walked up to Stryker, and slurred, "I don't trust him."

Stryker looked back, and said, "Well, you are pretty drunk." Kung Lao made a not bad face, and continued walking with the group.

* * *

Bi-Han and Shang Tsung were standing over the tournament arena that would serve their purposes long enough. Bi-Han looked over to the old man, and asked, "How is he still alive? I swore I pierced his heart."

Shang Tsung laughed, and said, "It seems you missed. Two minutes before I made that sheet, I heard several men were coming to the tournament to face me. One is the man you nearly killed. The rest are a blind man, a NYPD officer, and a former Shaolin monk who decided he didn't like the way the masters were running things over there. They have been found by my enemy, Raiden, and he told them where we are."

Bi-Han, who was confused, asked, "Raiden? Isn't that the Chinese god of thunder?"

Shang Tsung chuckled, and said, "He's not a god. He's merely an insane asylum escapee who has a fondness for electricity."

Bi-Han nodded, and then said, "What about the blind man? What makes him so special?"

"He is a man with an extraordinary gift. He may be blind, but the rest of his senses are heightened to superhuman levels," replied Shang Tsung.

He walked over to one of the ninjas dressed in red, and spoke something to him. Bi-Han looked over with a questioning glance, and was about to speak. However, a gong was sounded. Bi-Han looked over, and saw eight warriors walk into the area.

He instantly recognized one of them. "Hanzo," he hissed.

Bi-Han was wearing grey padding, with a blue warmer on top. His mask was a dark blue and it had three slits for

Scorpion looked up, and saw the blue-clad ninja looking down on him. He narrowed his eyes, and began walking over, when Kenshi stopped him.

He looked over to the swordsman, who then said, "In due time, friend. First, we must stop the others."

Scorpion nodded, and walked back with his three companions.

Kung Lao, who was still drunk, immediately sobered up when he saw Liu Kang glaring daggers at him. Kung Lao narrowed his eyes, but did not step forward. He looked to his left, and saw seven of the other combatants.

One of them was Stryker, the others he did not know. He saw a man with dreadlocks, piercings, and strange contusions on his arms.

Another was a very strange man, who looked like he had reptilian scales. Another was a red ninja, similar to scorpion, but had black tape wrapped around his head. Another was dressed in black pants with green highlights. Yet another had some sort of eye patch on his right eye. Stryker tapped his shoulder and said, "See that guy with the eye patch?"

Kung Lao nodded. Stryker said, "That's Kano. We've been looking for him for years." Kung Lao nodded again.

A grey ninja walked up to them and said, "Your are the few remaining police that are against Shang Tsung, are you not?"

The four men nodded. The ninja continued, "I am Smoke. I was once apart of the Lin Keui before Bi-Han took over. I've been preparing to leave for years. But when he became the grandmaster, that was the straw that broke the camels back."

Scorpion looked over, and said, "You were Lin Keui?"

Smoke nodded, and replied, "Like I said, I didn't like what they were doing. And I was especially outspoken of slaughtering the Shirai Ryu. While I did not like you people, I would not kill innocents."

Scorpion said, "As long as you stay out of my way to kill Sub-Zero, I could care less."

Kenshi said, "Calm, Hanzo."

Scorpion nodded, and got back in the line. Smoke began talking to Kenshi. "I will fight for the Decon City police. Mainly because I want to punish Bi-Han for all the lives he took without honor."

Scorpion hissed, "Get in line."

The underground boss spoke, interrupting the five people talking. "Warriors! The eleven of you have been chosen to fight in this Mortal Kombat tournament!"

The warriors looked around, when the man with the black and green pants spoke up and said, "There's only ten of us."

Shang Tsung looked down, and said, "Clearly you did not count Liu Kang, Hornbuckle." Hornbuckle nodded, and walked over to Kano.

Shang Tsung cleared his throat, and said, "Anyway, for the next few days, you will be fighting to the death. There will be two teams. One will be the Red Team, who will fight for Decon City's safety. The other will be the Blue Team, who will fight for control of Decon City. The Red Team will consist of the following people:

Kenshi

Kurtis Stryker

Smoke

Hanzo Hasashi

Kung Lao"

The five warriors bowed, and looked to their left.

Shang Tsung continued, "The Blue Team will be the following:

Liu Kang

Hornbuckle

Kano

Ermac

Reptile

Baraka."

The six combatants did nothing, and Liu Kang walked over to them. Shang Tsung said, "Liu Kang is the current Mortal Kombat champion. Therefore, in order to fight me, you must first beat him. The first match, will be Scorpion vs. Hornbuckle!"

Scorpion looked over to the shaking man, and inwardly smirked. _This will be easy._

* * *

Next time, on Mortal Kombat: Rebirth,

The tournament begins.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I was trying to describe the MK Legacy costume that Scorpion first wore, because A) I think it looks cool, and b) I think it could actually work in the real world. And, I wanted Bi-Han's costume to be the one from MK Legacy II, but decided against it because not many people liked that costume. So, I just used the one from the first season._  
_


	6. Chapter 6

Hornbuckle looked to his side and saw Scorpion, prepared to fight. Hornbuckle shook any doubt away, and got into a fighting stance. Scorpion just stood there, waiting for the Irish combatant to take the first swing.

Shang Tsung shouted, "Fight!"

Hornbuckle rushed Scorpion, and punched him in the jaw. Scorpion staggered back, but then kneed Hornbuckle in the stomach. He hunched over, and began coughing. He looked up, and saw Scorpion's boot flying towards his face.

He was sent back a good two feet, and Scorpion walked over to him, and hoisted him up by the neck. The Shirai Ryu looked into the Irish man's eyes, and said, "I'm going to enjoy this."

He slammed Horbuckle back on the ground. Hornbuckle spat out some blood, and rolled on his back. Scorpion climbed on top of him, and began throwing lefts and rights at Hornbuckle's body. Scorpion delivered an especially painful blow in the jaw that loosened a few teeth.

Hornbuckle felt the blood flowing inside his mouth, and looked up at Scorpion. He let out an inhuman growl, and did a kip up. He side-kicked Scopion in the gut, and slammed his elbow in Scorpion's face. The assassin staggered back again, and grinned.

He then pressed a button on his wrist gauntlet, and pointed his wrist towards his competitor. He pressed another button, and a kunai shot towards Hornbuckle. He almost dodged it, but it got lodged in his right arm.

Scorpion grabbed the yellow rope, and shouted, "GET OVER HERE!" He tugged, and Horbuckle flew towards him. He grabbed Hornbuckle's neck again, and pulled the kunai out of his shoulder. Hornbuckle screamed, which warranted a right punch across his face.

Scoprion head-butted the Irishman a few times, and then punched him in the gut. He then backhanded Hornbuckle across the face, and threw him to the side. Hornbuckle propped himself up with his arm, and looked at the approaching assassin. He got up again, and looked over. He grinned, and rushed Scorpion in a last ditch effort.

Hornbuckle spear tackled Scorpion to the ground, and began punching him again. Scorpion's head was knocked back and forth, until he no longer tolerated it, and caught the sixth punch. He looked at Hornbuckle, and waved his finger. He said, "Tsk tsk tsk."

He kneed Hornbuckle in the groin. Hornbuckle let out a scream, and got up. Scorpion did a kip up of his own, and punched Hornbuckle in the temple, shattering the Irishman's skull. Hornbuckle fell on his back. Scorpion walked up to the fallen man, and stomped on Hornbuckle's chest, shattering all of his ribs.

Scorpion pulled him back up to his feet, and punched him in the face again, knocking more teeth out. He looked back up at Shang Tsung, before punching Hornbuckle in the gut again. After shattering the last remnants of the Irishman's ribs, Scorpion backhanded him, breaking his jaw. Scorpion grabbed Hornbuckle's neck, he began closing his hand, hearing the cracking of Hornbuckle's spine.

Shang Tsung said, "Finish him."

Scorpion looked over to Shang Tsung, and nodded. He pulled on Hornbuckle's neck, ripping his head off with twelve of his vertebrae still attached. He raised it above his head letting out an inhuman shout of victory. He slammed it on the ground, where the head exploded in blood.

Shang Tsung smiled, and said, "Scorpion wins. Fatality."

Scorpion let it fall on the ground, and walked over to his team. He stood in line, and Stryker looked over and asked, "Why'd you kill him?"

Scorpion looked over, and answered, "It's a tournament to the death. What did you expect?"

Stryker nodded and looked over to Shang Tsung. He looked at Kenshi, and asked, "Isn't that the guy that blinded you?" The blind swordsman simply nodded, and Stryker left it at that.

Shang Tsung stood, and said, "Warriors! The first fight was very short, but it was brutal. Ermac! I want you to meet with me and Bi-Han in my chambers." Ermac bowed. "The rest of you may go to your sleeping chambers and get ready for the next fight."

Everyone dispersed, and the Red Team went to the third floor of the four story complex. Smoke went into his room to exercise, and the four men sent here by the Decon Police met in a certain room. Scorpion took his mouthpiece off, and sat on the bed. He looked over to Kenshi and Stryker, who were planning a form of attack on Shang Tsung.

Kung Lao was looking out the window, thinking to himself. _How could something like this happen,_ he thought. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and looked back to see Kenshi looking at him. "What's going on?"

Kung Lao asked, "What do you mean?"

"I could feel your emotion change. It happened when Shang Tsung said, 'Liu Kang'. What's up," asked Kenshi.

Kung Lao sighed, and said, "Him and I, we have a history together. I mean, I was a Shaolin monk. I joined the order back when it was in China. When we came to Decon City, it's like we changed. At least, he changed. He became much more violent in the next few years, until he thought of nothing but the mission."

Stryker said, "It looked like you two didn't part ways on the best of terms."

Kung Lao shook his head, and replied, "No, we didn't. A few months ago, back when they were deciding who should represent the Shaolin monks. We… had a disagreement. Essentially we fought, he won, I left. Simple as that. But I have a feeling that Scorpion also had an interesting backstory." They all looked over to the yellow-clad assassin, who was just sitting there.

Evidently he looked up, and asked, "What?"

Kenshi replied, "What is the story between you and that Bi-Han guy? You really seem to hate him."

"That's because I do. You don't know what he did to me. If I had it my way, you'd never know," answered Scorpion. He slowly stood up, walked up to Kenshi, and said, "And I pray to whatever god might be out there that you never have to experience what I did."

He pushed Kenshi aside, and walked out of the room. Kenshi looked over to Kung Lao, as if asking permission to follow him, but the monk just shook his head. Kenshi nodded, and walked over to Stryker, who had the apartment blueprint laid out in front of him.

The NYPD officer said, "I hope he gets his revenge."

* * *

Shang Tsung was sitting in a chair with his chin rested on his hand, when he heard a knock on the door. He said, "Come in."

The red ninja walked in and bowed.

Shang Tsung got up, and said, "Ah, Ermac. It is good to see you. How've you been?"

Ermac replied, "We are well. Thank you. We ask why have you brought us here?"

Shang Tsung then said, "I have brought you here to discuss who you shall be fighting today."

Ermac said, "We'd like to fight the blind one. He seems like easy pickings."

Shang Tsung nodded his head, and said, "It shall be done, friend. Tell Bi-Han of your plan so he can break the news to Baraka. He can fight that Stryker guy instead."

Ermac bowed again, and left the room. The red ninja had something wrong with his head. Many doctors thought he was simply bipolar, but that still didn't explain why he spoke like he thought he was more than one person. They simply wrote him off as insane. He eventually lost everything he had, and soon became homeless.

That is, until Shang Tsung found him.

The old man took pity on this former ninja, and decided to take Ermac under his wing. Due to his strange speaking manner, Shang Tsung has called him the Warrior of Many Souls. Since Ermac IS legitimately insane, he took this literally. Shang Tsung did not pay any attention, mainly because he didn't care. He just took him in because he felt that one more person is better to his army.

Shang Tsung grinned, and leaned back in his chair.

* * *

Scorpion was all alone in his room, holding his mouthpiece. He traced the large crack in the piece that he'd received ten years ago. He rubbed his forehead, and thought to himself, _Has it been that long already?_ He laid down on his bed, and looked at the ceiling. He remember that day as if it had happened only yesterday. While most of his physical scars healed, his mental ones did not. He closed his eyes, and let himself drift off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Next time, on Mortal Kombat: Rebirth,

The Lin Keui and the Shirai Ryu have never had good feelings towards each other. But that fateful day ten years ago changed everything.

* * *

A/N: That's right, the next two chapters will be flashbacks to what the fuck happened with Bi-Han and Hanzo. While some stuff will be ripped straight from MK: Legacy, I will do most of it as original. After all, this takes place in 2013. The actual story, not the flashback. Do your math correctly, and the flashback takes place in 2003.

Anyway, I've already lined up the next fight in chapter 9. Yes, mainly because the next two chapters will be flashbacks. For the most part. And there will be a future chapter telling of how Kenshi was blinded, and shit like that. So, hope you had fun reading this story, because I had fun writing it.

Spino, out.


	7. Chapter 7

All italicize stuff is flashback.

* * *

January 13th, 2003

_Japan_

_CRACK!_

_Hanzo Hasashi's eyes darted to the left. He could've sworn he heard a twig snap. He closed his hand around the hilt of his sword and slowly started moving through the thick vegetation. Hanzo looked around, searching for his prey, and ready to strike at any time._

_He stopped, and looked behind him. He saw some leaves falling to the ground. He started moving to the location of the falling leafs. He looked up, searching. He shook his head, and examined the ground. "Tracks," Hanzo whispered. He lightly chuckled, and whispered, "Very sloppy." He heard another twig snap, and whipped around. He slowly got up, and walked towards the sound, careful not to make any noise._

_He looked down, just in case there was something out of the ordinary. He noticed a string held tightly on the ground, and said, "You've got to do better than that." He stepped over it, and continued. He heard something snap under his foot. He looked down, and saw the ground giving away. He fell, letting out a scream. He fell down the ten foot hole. He looked up, and a young boy was looking down on him. The boy laughed, and said, "Didn't anyone teach you to look where you're going?"_

_Hanzo chuckled, and said, "Shut up, and held me up."_

_The boy saluted, and said, "Alright, sir."_

_The boy threw down a rope. Hanzo climbed it, and was helped up by the boy. Hanzo laughed, and said, "You finally got me, Jubei."_

_Jubei Hasashi said, "It was bound to happen eventually."_

_Hanzo nodded, and said, "Indeed it was. Come, your mother is probably worried about you."_

_Jubei nodded, and followed Hanzo back to their little home in the middle of the forest. They patted each other's backs, and talked about how the holy hell Jubei dug a hole that deep._

_After ten minutes, they finally reached their log cabin, and walked in. Immediately, a small plush teddy bear was throw at Hanzo's head. He ducked just in time to see his wife, Kana Hasashi, standing there, fuming mad. "Where have you to been?" she shouted._

_Hanzo looked at Jubei, as if giving him permission to run, and told Kana, "Jubei and I were training, Kana. We—"_

_"Don',t Hanzo," said Kana. "I cooked and cleaned for you, expecting you to be back by six-o'clock. And you were in the forest with Jubei messing around with spears and knifes. I thought you two were hurt!"_

_Hanzo walked over to here, and said, "We were doing anything dangerous. I was just teaching Jubei how to trap his enemies in case he doesn't have a weapon."_

_Kana looked away, still mad. Hanzo sighed, and said, "If it makes you feel any better, I feel ten feet on my ass ten minutes ago."_

_Kana shrugged, and said, "It helps."_

_Hanzo smiled, lifted up Kana's chin so that she was looking him in the eye, and said, "You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you or my son."_

_Kana let a smile form on her lips, and hugged Hanzo. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'm worried, what with the Lin Keui and all."_

_Hanzo looked Kana in the eyes and said, "They won't hurt you as long as I still draw breath. Okay."_

_Kana nodded, looked over to Jubei who had been watching the whole thing, and said, "Go clean your room, okay?"_

_Jubei nodded, and walked to his room._

_Hanzo looked at Kana, and asked, "So what's for dinner?"_

_Kana shook her head, and walked back to the kitchen. Hanzo had a confused look on his face, and asked, "What'd I do?"_

* * *

_The next day,_

_Hanzo Hasashi was sitting at the eating table with his family, enjoying his life. He looked over to Jebui, who was telling something about his day at school. Hanzo laughed, and looked over to Kana. She was smiling at Hanzo. Hanzo swallowed his food, and got up. Jebui looked over, and asked, "What is it, father?"_

_Hanzo looked behind him, and said, "I'm just going to check on something. Keep your mother company while I'm in there."_

_Jebui nodded, and began talking about his adventures with his friends. Hanzo walked into his room, and to a closet. He slowly opened it, and checked on his items. It was his battle gear. The black mouthplate, the yellow V-cut over suit, his black body armor, it was all there, and all in order. Hanzo walked back out, sat back down with his family, and began talking with them._

_All of a sudden, they heard a knock at the door. Hanzo looked at it, and asked, "Who could that be?"_

_He got up and opened the door, with two men dressed in Shirai Ryu guardsman outfits. Hanzo chuckled, and said, "Isn't that getup a little outdated?"_

_The two men looked at each other, and said, "We are supposed to wear this when the grandmaster comes."_

_Hanzo looked at them, and said, "Why is the grandmaster here?"_

_"He says he wants to speak with the best. And that's you, Mr. Hasashi," replied both of the guards._

_Hanzo nodded, and walked back inside. He looked at his family. He said, "The grandmaster has requested my presence."_

_Kana stood up, and said, "This better be the last time."_

_"It will be," replied Hanzo, "I promise. Jebui, I want you to look after your mother while I'm gone, okay?"_

_Jebui nodded. Hanzo opened his closet, and took out all of his combat gear. He got dressed, and looked at his family. Hanzo said, "I'll be back in a day or two, okay?"_

_Kana walked up to him, and said, "Please come back in once piece, alright?"_

_Hanzo nodded, kissed Kana's head, and walked over to Jebui. "Remember," said Hanzo, "take care of your mother."_

_Jebui laughed, and said, "Don't worry, dad. If I can kick your ass, I can kick anyone's."_

_Hanzo roughed up Jebui's hair, and walked out. He followed the guards, and walked for about an hour. They finally got to the temple. But what shocked Hanzo the most, was that it was on fire. "Grandmaster!" He ran up the temple steps, but was stopped by the guards. He looked back, and said, "Are you crazy? Their gonna die!"_

_One of the guards eye lit up blue, and he said, with a stone cold look, "They're already dead."_

_Something in Hanzo's head clicked. He threw a right at the first guards chin, and headbutted the other one. He bent down, and snapped the first guard's neck. The second one jumped up, and got into a fighting stance. Hanzo slowly got up. They charged each other, and the guard unsheathed his sword, and started swinging at Hanzo. The Shirai Ryu dodged all of the swings, punched the guard in the temple. He did a summersault towards the man, and stomped on his chest._

_He bent down, and looked at the unconscious man. He grabbed the necklace hanging from the man's neck. Lin Keui. He looked up, and saw a man in black body armor, with blue highlights all over the armor. His face was covered with a mask, and had a little blue on the mouth cover._

_"Bi-Han."_

_Bi-Han, AKA Sub-Zero, walked over to Hanzo, and punched him. Hanzo tried punching Sub-Zero, but the Lin Keui assassin dodged it, and slammed his open palm against Hanzo's gut. Hanzo fell to the ground, and looked at Sub-Zero. "You know, Hanzo," said Sub-Zero, "I never would've thought that you would ruthlessly kill two young men, just because they killed your clan."_

_Hanzo got up, and said, "One of them is only unconscious."_

_Sub-Zero walked over to the unconscious one, and stomped on his neck. Sub-Zero, looking at Hanzo the whole time, said, "Not anymore."_

_Sub-Zero and Hanzo circled each other. Hanzo said, "Why would you just kill innocent people? What have the Shirai Ryu ever done to you?"_

_Sub-Zero laughed, and answered, "We did it to eliminate the competition, of course."_

_Hanzo looked at Sub-Zero, and said, "What are you talking about?"_

_Sub-Zero replied, "You would've killed us had we not killed you first. It's called survival. I wanted to save two of your inferior clan for a certain special surprise."_

_Something else in Hanzo clicked. He said, "Kana. Jubei."_

_Sub-Zero nodded. "They're still alive, in case you're worried. They'll be alive for a little while, until I defeat you and drag your Shirai Ryu ass to them, so I can kill them in front of you."_

_Hanzo said, "You won't hurt them. I'll kill you before you get the chance, Bi-Han."_

_Sub-Zero laughed, and got into a fighting stance. Hanzo did the same thing, and began charging towards each other._

* * *

Present day,

Kenshi was walking through the halls, searching for a clue to Shang Tsung's plans. He had searched every room on his floor, so now he was searching the Blue Team's floor. He had sensed an odd presence. He felt the red ninja again.

The man didn't feel quite right, and Kenshi was going to get to the bottom of it.

The red ninja suddenly appeared behind him, and slammed his fist on the back of Kenshi's head. Kenshi staggered forward, and looked behind him. The red ninja slowly walked towards Kenshi, and said, "We are many. You are but one."

Kenshi took his sword out of his scabbard, and said, "But you're not me."

They then began to charge after each other, unaware that Shang Tsung was watching them.

* * *

A/N: That's right, next chapter, you will get two fights in one chapter. Badass, I know, but this next chapter might take a little while before I get done. Originally in this chapter, a segment featured Kuai Liang, Bi-Han's older brother, but I shook my head, thinking to myself, "This is Hanzo's story." Sorry, looks like you won't get the whole Kuai Liang story line for a while. Sorry, but hope you enjoyed this chapter. And, finally Kenshi will fight next chapter. Yay!


	8. Chapter 8

_Hanzo threw a fist at Sub-Zero's face, who then retaliated with a knee to the stomach. Hanzo was knocked back, but charged him. Sub-Zero was knocked down, and Hanzo began throwing punches at Sub-Zero's body. Sub-Zero caught a punch aimed for his face, head-butting Hanzo in the process. Hanzo got up, dazed by the blow. Sub-Zero got up, cupping his hands together. A blue ball formed out of thin air._

_Hanzo's eyes went wide. Sub-Zero shot the blue ball out of his hand, all the while shouting something in a language Hanzo didn't understand, sending the ball at high speeds towards Hanzo. The Shirai Ryu assassin jumped out of the way, and the ball froze the tree behind him. Hanzo looked at the tree, and then back at Sub-Zero._

_Sub-Zero chuckled, saying, "You didn't think they called me Sub-Zero just for my cold demeanor, did you?"_

_Hanzo just stared at him. He slowly got back up from the ground, looking Sub-Zero straight in the eye. He slowly unsheathed his two katanas, putting them both in front of him. Sub-Zero chuckled again, slowly forming an ice sword. Sub-Zero laughed again._

_Hanzo ran at him, swinging his right sword in a downward motion. Sub-Zero dodged it, swinging his own sword in a horizontal motion. Hanzo blocked Sub-Zero's ice sword, punching him in the face. Sub-Zero stumbled back, dropping his ice sword, which dissipated in the air. Sub-Zero grinned under his mask. Hanzo put his left sword back in its scabbard, circling Sub-Zero. They both yelled, and charged each other again._

* * *

Kenshi slashed his sword at Ermac, who ducked it. The red ninja backhanded the blind swordsman, the kneed him in the gut. Kenshi doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach. Ermac laughed, kicking Kenshi in the stomach. The blind swordsman fell to the ground. Ermac chuckled again, grabbing Kenshi by the hair. He picked him up, put him on his feet, and punched him in his face. Kenshi let out a yelp of pain, falling to the ground in pain.

Ermac laughed again, saying, "This is what Shang Tsung gave us? We should've choose that yellow assassin instead." Kenshi began laughing, louder with each passing second. Finally, Ermac became annoyed, and yelled, "What is so funny?" Kenshi stopped laughing. Instead, all he did was grin. He did a kip up, startling the red ninja.

Kenshi said, "I haven't even begun to use my full abilities."

Ermac, narrowing his eyes, charged Kenshi. The blind man just stood there, grinning, while the red ninja reached him. Ermac began trying to punch him again, but Kenshi dodged every punch, and snap kicked Ermac in the chest. Ermac was thrown into the wall. The red ninja looked back up at Kenshi who was standing there. Ermac let out a growl, and lunged at Kenshi.

Kenshi side stepped Ermac, and, while Ermac passed Kenshi, elbowed him in the back. The blow sent Ermac to the ground, struggling to get up. Kenshi picked up his sword, putting it back in his scabbard. Ermac slowly got back up, coughing.

Ermac grinned under his black mask, and said, "You are a great warrior, Kenshi. We are honored that we get to do battle with you."

Kenshi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean ninja?"

Ermac held out his hands. They slowly glowed a bright green color. He pulled his arms back, and suddenly, with Kenshi pulling out his sword again, pushed his arms out. Kenshi was thrown back by an unseen force. He was thrown into a wall, which broke and sent him into an empty room.

Ermac grinned, and repeated, "We are many. You are but one."

Kenshi got up, and said, "Yeah. Okay. Now this is getting interesting."

Ermac ran up to him, punching him in the face.

* * *

_Hanzo was thrown into a tree. He looked up to see Sub-Zero slowly walking towards him. The Lin Keui warrior smiled under his mask, forming two ice balls in his hand. Hanzo pressed a button on his wrist gauntlet, sending his kunai shooting towards Sub-Zero. The ice warrior dodged it, and sent one of his ice balls towards Hanzo. The Shirai Ryu assassin dodged it just in time. He pulled the kunai back before Sub-Zero could freeze it. Sub-Zero instead punched the ground, and spike came popping out of the ground. Hanzo jumped back, avoiding the spikes before they could skewered him._

_Sub-Zero snapped his fingers in a frustrated manner, and ran at Hanzo. Two more balls of ice formed in his hands. He threw them both at Hanzo, who jumped over them again, while still running towards him. Just as Hanzo landed on the ground, Sub-Zero tackled Hanzo to the ground. Sub-Zero began throwing punches at Hanzo's face, while Hanzo tried blocking them. Hanzo looked to the left, seeing his fallen swords._

_Hanzo looked back at Sub-Zero, and sent a fist right into his face. The blow gave Hanzo enough time to shove Sub-Zero off of him, crawl to one of his swords, and get into a fighting position. Sub-Zero jumped back up, looking Hanzo straight in the eye._

_Sub-Zero chuckled. He said, "Never in all my years as a Lin Keui warrior have I seen someone survive this long against me."_

_Hanzo ignored him, running full speed at his nemesis. Before Sub-Zero got a chance to avoid the blow, Hanzo slashed his face. A long, blood red scar ran down his right eye, making Sub-Zero let out a scream of pain. Hanzo then roundhouse kicked Sub-Zero, sending the Lin Keui warrior into a tree. Hanzo straightened himself, and looked at the very angry man._

_Sub-Zero shouted, "You will pay for that!"_

_Sub-Zero charged Hanzo, and then punched him square in the face, breaking a piece of Hanzo's mask. The crack ran from the top left side of the mask, all the way down to the pseudo-mouth. Hanzo back a Sub-Zero, panting heavily._

_Sub-Zero grinned, now tasting the blood from his scar. "Now, since your scarred my face, I'm going to scar your soul," sneered Sub-Zero._

_Hanzo stood up to his full height, which was an inch or two shorter than Sub-Zero, and said, "The scar on your face will go away."_

_Sub-Zero's grin disappeared. Instead, he let out an inhuman growl, forming an ice sword in his hands. Hanzo gripped his sword tighter, waiting for Sub-Zero to clash swords. Sub-Zero swung his sword, which Hanzo blocked with his._

_He kicked Sub-Zero back, pressed a button on his wrist gauntlet, and sent his kunai spear towards Sub-Zero again. This time, in impaled him on the shoulder. Hanzo gave it a good tug, and shouted, "Come here!" Sub-Zero was pulled towards Hanzo, who grabbed Sub-Zero's head, and brought it towards his knee._

* * *

Kenshi's head slammed on Ermac's knee. Kenshi stumbled back, dazed by the blow. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. His senses were off. He couldn't pinpoint Ermac. He'd just have to wait until he talked.

Which was easier said than done.

Ermac's fist was shrouded by a neon green glow. He made a motion like he was punching something, while there was nothing in front of him. But Kenshi felt a blow to his stomach. As well as two more blows to his head and right arm. Kenshi fell to his knee, but got up immediately after. Ermac ran up to Kenshi and began to punch his chest. Kenshi let out shouts of pains, not knowing what to do for the first time in his life.

Ermac, after delivering about ten punches to the chest, threw a hard right across Kenshi's face. A few teeth flew out of Kenshi's mouth, blood following the teeth. Ermac lightly place his hand on Kenshi's chest, with Kenshi unaware that it was glowing the same green color. Kenshi flew into another wall, not breaking through it this time. Ermac walked over to him, grabbed his face, and looked him in the eyes.

"You have survive longer than anyone who has faced us," said Ermac. "Congratulations, swordsman. Now you will die."

Kenshi, thinking fast, punched Ermac right in the gut. Ermac staggered back, looking at his chest in amusement.

He said, "You really think that would hurt us? We are—"

He never got the chance to finish his sentence, because Kenshi tackled him to the ground. The blind swordsman began punching Ermac's face, knocking out more teeth than Ermac did to him. Ermac only tolerated it for a few seconds, because he slammed his head into Kenshi's forehead. He got up, panting heavily.

"Very good, swordsman," stated Ermac. "You are defiantly a stubborn warrior."

Kenshi got to his feet, but fell again. He got on all fours, spitting out more blood.

Ermac saw this. He growled, and shouted, "Why won't you just fucking die!"

Kenshi said, "Because if I do, this city will fall. I won't be able to exact revenge on Shang Tsung for blinding me, I won't save Decon City from its corruption, and I won't be able to stop you, pawn of Shang Tsung."

Ermac laughed. He said, "You think We serve Shang Tsung? No. We serve no one. We are here because We want to take this city for ourselves."

Kenshi sensed his Sento blade calling to him. He looked over to his blade in the room he first crashed into. He held out his hand, trying to call forth the blade to his hand. Ermac was amused by this. But not amused enough to not kill him. He jumped towards Kenshi, who sensed him. Kenshi put his hands up in a defensive position.

He felt an invisible force pushing back on him. He then heard a crashing sound and, not knowing what it was, slowly stood up. Ermac had been pushed back into a wall in a very similar fashion as he did when he first showed his powers to Kenshi. The blind swordsman stood up, putting his hand out again. The Sento blade came towards him. He grabbed the hilt, and put it in a fighting position.

Ermac looked up and saw Kenshi ready to fight again. He growled, jumped up to his feet, and snarled at Kenshi. Kenshi gave a small smirk, and spoke two words.

"Bring it."

* * *

_Sub-Zero clashed swords with Hanzo again, breaking the swords in half. Hanzo looked at his sword in disbelief, and then looked at Sub-Zero, who was grinning under his mask. Hanzo put the sword back in it's scabbard. He got into a fighting stance, but felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down, and saw a blade coming out of his chest._

_His eyes slowly began to close. He was slowly losing consciousness, but he saw another Lin Keui assassin walk up to Sub-Zero. Hanzo finally lost consciousness after seeing Sub-Zero snap the Lin Keui's neck._

* * *

_"Wake up, Hanzo."_

_Hanzo woke up to cold water being splashed in his face. He shook his head, seeing himself in a dark room. He instantly recognized it as his house. He struggled to get out of his bonds, but stopped when he saw Sub-Zero and two Lin Keui standing next to him. Sub-Zero knelt beside him, and said, "You've been out for a while, old friend. We were worried you were dead."_

_Hanzo jumped to try to get to Sub-Zero, but was quickly subdued by Sub-Zero's companions. Sub-Zero snapped his fingers, and the two assassins left the room. Sub-Zero kept looking into Hanzo's eyes. Hanzo would've spat in his face had his mouth not been tapped shut._

_Sub-Zero said, "We have quite the surprise for you, Hanzo. Remember what I said about your family?"_

_The two Lin Keui returned with two additional people, one adult female, and one adolescent male. Hanzo began shouting something, but was muffled out. Sub-Zero grinned again, and looked back at Hanzo's family._

_He snapped his fingers again, and one of the assassins let go of the female. She shouted, "Hanzo!"_

_Hanzo said something that sounded like, "Kana!"_

_Kana walked over to Hanzo, but Sub-Zero grabbed her shoulder and drove Hanzo's blade into her. Kana let out a short scream before falling to the ground._

_The boy shouted, "Mom!"_

_Hanzo stood there in shock. His wife was dead and the killer was going to kill again very soon. Sub-Zero walked over to Hanzo again, whispering in his ear, "That was your wife, am I correct?"_

_Hanzo just stared at the dead body, hoping that this was all just a dream. Sub-Zero smacked Hanzo and shouted, "Answer me!"_

_Hanzo nodded, still not being able to speak. Sub-Zero got up, and walked over to the boy. "And this must be Jubei," said Sub Zero. He put his hand on Jubei's shoulder, and said, "He's a handsome lad, isn't he Hanzo? Yes, it'd be such a shame to waste this. Sadly, I must put an end to the Hasashi bloodline. "_

_Jubei said, "You're a monster!"_

_Sub-Zero laughed, and said, "I'm not the one who put you on this world to die, little boy. And I'm defiantly not the one to join a clan when he knew that clan had mortal enemies."_

_Sub-Zero took the blade, and drove it into Jebui's chest, similar to what he did with Kana. Hanzo shouted, "No!"_

_Sub-Zero walked over to Hanzo, ripped the tape off Hanzo's mouth, and said, "This is your entire fault, old friend. If only you stayed with them, instead of going to tend to your precious grandmaster."_

_Hanzo shouted, "Why? They did nothing to you!"_

_Sub-Zero knelt to Hanzo's eye__level, and said, "They were your family. I can't think of a better reason than that."_

_Hanzo tried to get out of his bonds, but his struggles were cut short when a blade was driven into his chest. He looked down, and saw Sub-Zero twisting the blade. Sub-Zero left the blade in Hanzo's chest and snapped his fingers. The two Lin Keui exited the house. Sub-Zero chuckled, stepping over Kana and Jubei and Kana's body on his way out._

_Before he got to the door, he stopped, look back at Hanzo, and said, "Enjoy the rest of your life in hell, Hanzo." He stepped out of the house, laughing. That laugh would haunt Hanzo for the rest of his life._

* * *

Present day,

Scorpion woke up from his dream with a scream. He threw the blanket off of him, and looked at his chest. The scar was still there. He slammed his fist against the wall, punching a hole in it. He then heard a struggle. It was on a different floor. It sounded like Kenshi. He grabbed his wrist gauntlet, not bothering putting his entire costume on. He then got his mask, tied it to his face, and ran towards the noise.

* * *

Kenshi stabbed his blade at Ermac, but Ermac pushed himself back. The red ninja opened his palm, and sent a wave of energy at Kenshi. The swordsman flew back, crashing into a stand with a vase. Before the vase hit the floor, Kenshi caught it, then threw it at Ermac. Ermac dodged it, but was caught off guard when Kenshi tackled him.

Kenshi raged his sword, but Ermac kneed him in the groin. Kenshi's eyes went wide. Ermac, while Kenshi was holding his crotch, punched him in the face. Kenshi held his bleeding nose, while Ermac brought his legs to Kenshi's stomach. The red ninja kicked Kenshi off, sending the swordsman back to a wall.

Ermac stood back up, but Kenshi ran up to Ermac. He threw two punches at Ermac's stomach, then roundhouse kicked his face. Ermac fell to the ground. He pulled down his mask, spat out some blood, put the mask back in place, and got back up. Kenshi then grabbed Ermac's arm, punching the elbow joint.

Kenshi heard a crack, knowing for certain that the arm was snapped in half. Kenshi then elbowed Ermac's head, hearing another crack. Just to make sure, Kenshi kicked Ermac's thigh with enough force to break the femur. Ermac let out a scream that basically woke up the entire apartment. Most went back to sleep when they figured it wasn't worth looking into.

Ermac feel to the ground, and Kenshi's hand glowed blue, ready to attack Ermac. The swordsman made a punching motion, which cracked Ermac's skull even more. Ermac's entire body glowed a neon green, and he lifted himself of the ground.

Kenshi lifted his arm up, calling Sento to him. He ran at Ermac, swinging his sword at him like an expert, but Ermac kept pushing himself out of the way with his telekinesis.

Kenshi swung his blade at Ermac again, trying to hit him. Ermac was running out of breath. He wouldn't be able to keep this up any longer. However, he heard a sort of whirling sound, and a spear tip embedded itself in Ermac's vertebrae. He heard someone shout, "Get Over Here!"

Kenshi stared on in confusion as someone pulled Ermac towards them, and gave Ermac an uppercut. Kenshi, not wanting to waste this opportunity, jumped on Ermac and drove the blade in Ermac's head. Ermac let out a scream, but quickly stopped struggling. Kenshi looked up, and sensed Scorpion holding out a hand.

Kenshi asked, "What the fuck took you so long?"

Hanzo replied, "I was having a nightmare."

"Reliving the past," asked Kenshi.

Scorpion simply said, "Yeah."

Kenshi shrugged, and said, "Let's go talk to Kung Lao and Stryker."

Scorpion nodded, and walked back to the room that served as their "headquarters."

* * *

Bi-Han turned the screen off that him and Shang Tsung were watching the fight on. He looked back at Shang Tsung, who had a very pleased expression. He took a sip of his tea, and said, "Tell the others of Ermac's death."

Bi-Han nodded, and left the small security room.

Shang Tsung whispered to himself, just to amuse himself, "Fatality."

* * *

A/N: Finally! It's about damn time I got this shit done. Sadly, I had to kill Ermac, because this is a fight to the death, and no none takes prisoners in MK. Hope you enjoyed.

Spino, out.


	9. Chapter 9

"So, what you're telling me," said Kurtis Stryker, "is that some psycho ninja with telekinesis attacked you when you were on a different floor?"

Kenshi nodded. Stryker looked over to Scorpion, who stood in the corner with his arms crossed. Stryker rolled his eyes, saying, "Whatever. Anyway, while you two were off doing who knows what, me and Kung Lao found the easiest way to take Shang Tsung down."

Scorpion spoke up, saying, "You mean just winning the tournament?"

Kung Lao said, "That's Plan A, but if that doesn't work, there's always Plan B."

Kenshi and Scorpion glanced at each other and said simultaneously, "What's Plan B?"

Stryker said, "We capture one of Blue team, and get the information out of them."

Kung Lao spoke up, "Maybe Kano."

Stryker looked back, with a shocked expression on his face. He asked, "How the holy fuck do you know who Kano is."

Kung Lao took out a bottle of whisky and, after taking a long drink, answered, "He's been helping out the Shaolin for years. In fact, when we first came here, he was the one who offered to help us for a price. He's also a reason why we were corrupted."

Stryker looked at the clock, ignoring Kung Lao's last sentence, and said, "The next match of the tournament starts in a little bit."

Kung Lao took another drink of his whisky, packed it away in a bag, then grabbed his hat. Scorpion walked out of the room to get his equipment. Kenshi already had his gear on, so he just stood there silently. Stryker checked his pistol the ammo on his Beretta 92, looked at the charge for his taser, and grabbed his nightsticks.

Scorpion returned with all of his outfit on, not just his mask, and said, "Let's go."

When they were leaving, Stryker said, "Who the fuck made you the leader?"

* * *

Shang Tsung looked at his three remaining competitors. He smiled, knowing that the next match would be in their favor. He heard a door beside him open, and Bi-Han came out. Shang Tsung said, "Have the matches been changed?"

Bi-Han bowed, and said, "They have, sir. Now that Ermac's dead, we will no longer be held back."

Shang Tsung nodded, and turned his attention to the five men heading towards the arena. His smile grew even wider when he saw Kenshi looking up at him. He turned to Bi-Han again. "We'll see how their officer handles one of our champions."

When all of the competitors where accounted for, with the exception of Liu Kang, who wasn't even fighting today, Shang Tsung stood, and said, "Fighters! After two matches won by Red team, it's time my Blue team gets a win. But, since I can't just give them a win, I'll give them an easy opponent."

He looked down at Baraka, and said, "Baraka. You are the next one up."

Allan Zane, alias Baraka, bowed, and walked up to the arena. He looked up to Shang Tsung, and shouted, "Who will be my opponent!"

Shang Tsung grinned. He said, "Kurtis Stryker!"

Stryker grinned. He walked up to the arena. He stood in front of Baraka, who laughed and said, "Kevlar? Are you serious?"

Stryker's grin disappeared. He got into his fighting pose, and Baraka laughed again. "Shang Tsung," shouted Baraka, "you should've given me a little bit of a challenge!"

Stryker rolled his eyes, and took out his taser while Baraka was still talking. "I will tear his skin from his bones," continued Baraka. "He is nothing more than fighting practice."

When Baraka turned around, Stryker pulled the trigger, and two cords lodged themselves in Baraka. Electricity was sent through the cords, making Baraka fall to his knees. When the barrage of electricity stopped, Stryker pulled the cords off the taser, sticking a new cartridge in.

Baraka was still on the ground, trying to get over the shock of the taser. Stryker walked over to him, picked him up, and said, "Want to make fun of my fucking vest now?" He then smashed his nightstick against Baraka's face. Baraka staggered back. He spat some of his teeth out, wiping the blood from his face.

Baraka snarled at Stryker, who just stood there. The crazed doctor charged the police officer. He tackled Stryker to the ground, and threw two punches at his face. Stryker grabbed the third punch, then head butted Baraka. The policeman slowly got up, and then kicked Baraka in the stomach. Baraka kneeled over in pain, but didn't have enough time to react when Stryker pulled out his flashlight, and smashed it on Baraka's forehead.

Baraka fell to the ground, dazed and confused. Stryker pulled out his gun, and aimed it at Baraka's forehead. He said, "Allan Zane, you are under arrest."

Baraka looked up at Stryker, and said, "How can you arrest me when you are dead?"

He jumped up and punched Stryker twice, grabbed his gun, and shot him in the foot. Stryker let out a cry of pain. He punched Baraka in the face, breaking a few more teeth. He then punched him twice in the gut, and elbowed him in the face. Baraka shock his head, and punched Stryker, breaking his nose. Stryker staggered back, but knelt to the ground and gave Baraka an uppercut.

Baraka backed off of Stryker. The policeman said, "Oh, sure. I'm gonna be dead. Gotcha. Anyway, you're coming with me."

Baraka grinned. His blades came out of his forearms, and, before Stryker could react, plunged them into his stomach. Stryker let out a quick gasp, and looked down. He said, "Oh, yeah. Forgot about those." Baraka raised his blade, ready to decapitate Stryker.

But, before he could, he heard someone shout, "No!"

He looked over, seeing Kenshi charge him. The blind swordsman took his sword out of his scabbard, and clashed with Baraka. Kenshi was fueled with anger, and slashed his sword without finesse, without thought, just anger. It took Baraka all of his might to hold back Kenshi's assault, but eventually, Kenshi broke through, and stabbed Baraka through the leg.

Baraka screamed in pain, but it was cut short when Kenshi drove his fist into Baraka's face, knocking him unconscious.

Kenshi ran up to Stryker, who was lying on the floor, trying to keep pressure on the wound. He knelt down to Stryker, and asked, "Where's the wound?"

Stryker grabbed Kenshi's hand, and placed it on the bleeding hole. Stryker said, "I'm losing a shit ton of blood."

Kenshi nodded. He took off his blindfold and wrapped it around Stryker's wound. He lifted him up, and walked over to the three other combatants. Smoke said, "I will bring him back to my room. I have experienced many wounds of this kind. I can heal him."

Kenshi nodded and then handed Stryker to Smoke, who walked back to his room. Kung Lao looked up to Shang Tsung, who was talking to Bi-Han. Shang Tsung nodded at something the Lin Keui said, then spoke up to the remaining fighters.

"It appears that the Blue Team finally has a victory. While Stryker is not dead, he is incapacitated. Baraka will continue to the next round. Congratulations," announced Shang Tsung.

Kano and Reptile lifted up Baraka and dragged the unconscious Baraka back to his room. Shang Tsung held up his hand and said, "Reptile! I will speak to you in ten minutes."

Reptile waved behind his back, and continued dragging Baraka back to his room. Shang Tsung whisked the others away with a wave of his hand.

* * *

Kung Lao and Kenshi were in their "headquaters" looking over their plans. They heard the door open, and Smoke walked in. Kenshi asked, "How is he?"

Smoke said, "Too early to tell. He lost a lot of blood before I stitched him up."

Kung Lao sat down on the bed. He took out a bottle of whisky, which was only about one-tenths full, and finished the rest of it. He threw the empty bottle on his bed. Kenshi walked out of the room, following the grey ninja. Kung Lao rested his head on his pillow, and let himself drift off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Scorpion sat in the middle of his room, meditating, training his mind for the upcoming battle with his long time rival. He reached behind his back, and took out a sword. He looked down on it, running his hand across the blade.

The blade that killed his family.

He put the blade in his scabbard. He didn't know how he survived getting stabbed. All he remembered was that he woke up a few days later in a hospital. He remember a nurse screaming when she saw his eyes. He hated his eyes. He wished he could rip them out every time he saw them. Kenshi's blind, and he could still fight. Although he had that magical sword of his, so that option was out.

He stayed in that position. He didn't know how long passed before he heard a knock at the door. He got up, and opened it. Kenshi was there. Scorpion asked, "What?"

Kenshi said, "Don't you want to know how Stryker's doing?"

Scorpion flatly replied, "No."

Kenshi walked into his room and sat on his bed. He felt around, and touched the broken sword on his bed. Kenshi raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Why do you have a broken sword? A twelve-inch blade isn't the best when it comes to sword fighting."

Scorpion looked back and said, "It's none of your business. Now, since I know you didn't come just to ask me if I want to see Stryker, what do you want?"

Kenshi sighed, and said, "Look, I want to know what the fuck happened between you and that Sub-Zero guy."

Scorpion looked back at him with no emotion on his face. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He replied, "Alright. But when I'm done, you tell me what the fuck happened with you and the old guy, okay?"

Kenshi nodded, and said, "Deal."

Scorpion then told him his backstory. The rivalry between the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Keui, the attack on the temple, the fight with Sub-Zero, the death of his family, and his awakening in a hospital bed days later.

Kenshi was listening intently to all this. After Scorpion was done, Kenshi said, "And he did all of this with no hesitation?"

Scorpion replied, "None."

"How many people know this?" asked Kenshi.

Scoprion replied, "You, Briggs, and Sonya Blade are the only ones. Now, what happened to you?"

Kenshi said, "I wasn't always blind. I remember having brown eyes, before they were so glazed over that they look almost pure white. Anyways, about seven years ago, when I could still see, I was talking with a family friend, Song. He talked of a legendary sword, the Sword of Sento.

"I didn't believe him when he said it had magical powers, but I was still interested in acquiring a new sword to my collection. Song and I walked to a cave where it was rumored that the sword lay in stone. We found it together, and I took it. What he didn't tell me was the collection of souls in the sword. They quickly burst out, and they blinded me. Someone followed us, and took the souls and added it to his power. Shang Tsung. He paid Song to bring me to the cave, where I was supposed to die.

"Obviously that didn't happen.

"I laid there for about ten minutes when the Sword of Sento called to me. It guided me out of that cave and to the nearest town. I soon was able to collect enough money to come to New York, where I became a policeman. But I never stopped hunting for Shang Tsung."

Scorpion looked at Kenshi, and said, "I won't get in the way of your revenge, as long as you don't get in the way of mine."

Kenshi nodded, and held out his hand. Scorpion grabbed it, and shook it.

* * *

Kenshi walked into Smoke's room, where the unconscious Stryker lay.

He pulled up a chair, and sat down next to the bed. He looked at Stryker, and said, "Don't worry. Shang Tsung will pay for what he put us both through."

With that, Kenshi got up, and left.

* * *

Shang Tsung was in his room, talking with Reptile. He said, "You will fight Smoke tomorrow, understand?"

Reptile bowed, and said, in a low, very harsh voice, "Yes, Master. But what of the Shaolin monk? Surely you don't expect Kano to beat him?"

"Of course not," replied Shang Tsung. "I just need to weed out the weaker fighters, like that Irishman-"

"Hornbuckle."

"Whatever, and Ermac. Baraka may have been knocked unconscious by Kenshi, but he is still able to fight. And, since you are the only other one I trust still in the tournament, you will be fighting the weaker man."

Reptile nodded, and said, "It would be my honor, my master."

Shang Tsung dismissed him with a wave of his hand, saying, "Now go! Get ready for the fight tomorrow."

Reptile bowed once more, and quickly left the room. When Reptile left, Bi-Han came out of the shadows, asking, "Do you think he can defeat a Lin Keui warrior. Smoke may be a traitor, but he was still one of the best. And the fact that he trained with me and my brother shows that he knows quite a bit about fighting."

Shang Tsung said, "We will deal with that later. And I will make sure Reptile keeps him alive for your... special purposes."

Bi-Han nodded, and said, "Thank you, Shang Tsung."

Bi-Han quickly left the room, with Shang Tsung smiling.

* * *

A/N: Another bites the dust. Stay tuned.


	10. Chapter 10

The former Lin Keui assassin, Smoke, stood alone in his room.

He was in his battle gear, which consisted mostly of grey. He looked very much like Bi-Han did ten years ago, the only difference being his mask. Unlike Bi-Han's, Smoke's mask has three vents on it. Two were on the side, the other being over his mouth. They were so he could breathe when he threw his smoke bombs at people.

Earlier that day, it was decided to keep Stryker in Kung Lao's room. Smoke didn't argue, although it would be a pain to bring all of his healing equipment with him to Kung Lao's room. He paced back and forth, wondering what was in store for him in the tournament.

His team believes he is here because he disagreed with Bi-Han's leadership, with the last straw being the Shirai Ryu slaughter. This is only partly true. While he was disgraced by the murder of their rival clan, he left only three months ago because of what the clan wanted to do to him. They wanted to turn him into a soulless machine. They wanted to turn him into a cyborg.

The Cyber-Initiative.

They first turned two of their greatest warriors, Cyrax and Sektor, into cyborgs, much to Cyrax's displeasure. Then they turned Smoke and Kaui Liang's, Bi-Han's brother, sifu, Hydro, into a cyborg. Smoke was forced to kill Hydro. He then escaped the temple, and has been jumping around Decon City since then.

Then he heard of the tournament. He was kept in the dark about a lot of things at the Lin Keui temple, but he had known about some tournament for quite some time now. He just didn't know what it meant. He had attempted to compete for years, and after Kaui Liang's disappearance. Smoke just hoped if he was alive, that Kaui Liang didn't suffer like the others. Smoke dug into a pocket concealed by his vest and pulled out a picture taken long ago.

It was a black and white photo, showing a young Smoke and Kuai Liang laughing.

Smoke chuckled at the memory, but I was quickly stifled when he heard a knock at his door. Smoke rolled his grey eyes, walking towards his door. He opened it up, expecting to see one of his teammates. Instead he was meet with a punch to the face. He fell to the ground, breaking many objects in his room. He looked up, but immediately regretted it.

A very powerful, and very pissed, Bi-Han stood in the doorway. Bi-Han kicked Smoke in the side, causing the grey assassin to cough. Bi-Han pulled on Smoke's stealth hood, ripping it off. Smoke's long, white hair spilled out, much to his anger. Bi-Han grabbed it, lifting him up.

He looked Smoke into his eyes, and said, "You will pay for abandoning the Lin Keui!"

Smoke shouted behind his mask, "And you will pay for destroying our souls!"

Bi-Han went into a fit of laughter. He wiped away a fake tear, and said, "You and your free will. I will make sure every last remnant of free will is eradicated in the clan. And I will start with you."

"BI-HAN!" yelled a voice behind him.

Bi-Han turned to face the person, seeing his longtime rival; Scorpion. Scorpion tackled Bi-Han to the ground, causing the Lin Keui grandmaster to let go of Smoke. Bi-Han protected his face, unsuccessfully, against Scorpion's punches. The Shirai Ryu was relentless, raining punches down on Bi-Han. Smoke just stood behind, watching his former leader get the shit beaten out of him.

Before Scorpion could break Bi-Han's face, the Lin Keui punched Scorpion in the face, giving him the chance to run out of Smoke's room. Smoke attempted to follow him, but was stopped when Bi-Han froze the door shut.

Smoke crashed through the door, and tackled Bi-Han. Bi-Han kicked Smoke in the chest, throwing the former Lin Keui off of him. He got up faster than Smoke could and ran out of the hall. Scorpion jumped out of Smoke's room, throwing his spear at Bi-Han.

Bi-Han dodged the spear, which was lodged in the wall behind him. Scorpion let out an inhuman yell, running after Bi-Han, followed by Smoke. Kung Lao walked out of his room, running into Bi-Han. Kung Lao looked up, but was met with a punch to the face. Bi-Han froze a wall next to him and then crashed through it.

Kenshi tackled Bi-Han to the ground. Bi-Han elbowed Kenshi in the face, knocking him to the ground. Bi-Han quickly got up to his feet, making a wall of ice, stopping the other from getting to him.

He put his hands on his knees, taking a few deep breaths. That's when he heard a cracking sound.

He looked up, seeing Scorpion punching the ice. He sighed, thinking, _This was a bad idea._ He straightened himself out, hearing the pop of his vertebrae reattaching. He then froze the ground below him. When he froze it for about ten seconds, he stopped, looked up to Scorpion, who finally punched through the ice.

He waved to his nemesis before stomping on the ice, and jumping through the hole.

* * *

Scorpion broke enough ice to get through, but Bi-Han was long gone. Scorpion fell to his knees. He shouted to the gods for denying him his revenge once again. Kenshi walked into the small room, kneeling down by Scorpion.

Kenshi looked over, but decided against saying anything. Smoke followed, stopping once he saw Kenshi patting Scorpion's back in a vain attempt to comfort him. Kung Lao walked in, too, but he was stopped by Smoke.

The former Lin Keui said, "Let's let them be. I'll go check on Stryker if you want to come with."

Kung Lao nodded, walking with Smoke to Stryker's room.

* * *

"YOU IDIOT!"

Shang Tsung was pacing in front of Bi-Han, whom was leaning on a wall, arms crossed, not feeling the least bit guilty. The middle-aged man looked at Bi-Han and said, "I hope you're happy! Now Hasashi won't stop hunting you and, worst of all, now Kenshi will want to kill me more!"

Bi-Han let air into his nose loudly. He said, "If I could defeat Hanzo once, I can do it again."

Shang Tsung said, "I know of the assassin that stabbed Hanzo in the back while you two were fighting. And bring in the fact that you couldn't even kill him with a sword through the heart makes it even worse!"

Bi-Han popped himself off the wall, uncrossing his arms, and said, "Maybe I forgot to kill one of the Shirai Ryu on the intial attack and they somehow survived. They might've got Hanzo out of there before he could bleed out, and now Hanzo wants to kill me. Nothing new."

Shang Tsung threw up his arms and said, "Whatever! You just pray to Shinnok that Reptile beats Smoke."

Bi-Han snapped his fingers, saying, "I remember why I came in here in the first place. Did you remember to tell Reptile to not kill that traitor?"

Shang Tsung shrugged and said, "I don't remember. I still have no idea why you want him off all people to turn into a robot."

Bi-Han shook his head and said, "Smoke is a great fighter. He's just held back by his compassion. The fact that Kuai Liang and he were friends proved that."

Shang Tsung walked up to a screen showing Kano playing with his butterfly knifes. He put his face in his hand and said, "So far we've only had one victory, and we've lost Ermac, who I was certain could kill that swordsman. I guess looks can be deceiving."

"You should now that yourself, Shang Tsung," replied Bi-Han.

Shang Stung nodded at that remark. He looked at Bi-Han and said, "Tell your Lin Keui to keep an eye on the Red Team. I don't want them leaving that floor until tomorrow."

Bi-Han nodded and walked out of the room.

* * *

Three Lin Keui ninjas crawled through the air ducts. They were watching Kenshi, who was walking through the halls of their floor. One of the Lin Keui spoke to another and said, in Japanese, "Alert grandmaster Bi-Han of this."

The second Lin Keui nodded and crawled back through the duct. The third Lin Keui, who has been silent this whole time, spoke up and said, "How the hell is this thing holding both of our weight?"

They then heard a creaking and both said, "Uh-oh."

The air duct broke, dropping them to the floor. The quickly jumped up, facing the blind swordsman. Kenshi said, "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play in the air ducts?"

The first Lin Keui said, "You are trespassing! Leave now and you might survive."

Kenshi mocked them by saying, "Oh, no, I'm so frightened. How will I ever beat you into the ground?"

The first one rushed Kenshi, who dodged the attack and elbowed the Lin Keui in the back. The other one charged Kenshi as well. The swordsman, however, pulled out a pistol with a silencer and shot the Lin Keui between the eyes. Kenshi twirled the gun before placing it back in its hidden holster. He turned to the other Lin Keui.

He said, "Clearly your mother never taught you any manners. Oh, well." Kenshi cracked his knuckles and said, "Looks like I'll have to beat them into you."

The Lin Keui pulled out a sword and tried to cut Kenshi's head off. But Kenshi ducked under the blade and slammed his open palm against the Lin Keui's gut. The assassin staggered back, holding his gut. He looked up at Kenshi and got into a fighting stance. Kenshi grinned. He pulled out his gun and fired three shots at the Lin Keui, who dodged them all. Kenshi shrugged and dropped the gun. He pulled out the Sword of Sento and held it in front of him.

The Lin Keui picked the sword he dropped earlier up and charged Kenshi again. Kenshi dodged the blade yet again and elbowed the back of the assassin's neck. The Lin Keui fell to his knees, panting heavily. Kenshi straightened himself up and turned to face his attacker. The Lin Keui cracked his neck, ketting ready for Kenshi's attack.

But it never came.

A figure in the shadows pulled out a gun and slammed the handle on the back of Kenshi's skull. The blind swordsman fell to the ground immediately. The Lin Keui looked up to see Kano standing there, cleaning some blood off of his gun. He looked at the Lin Keui and said, "There's your prisoner. Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna get back to sleep, mate."

The one eyed criminal walked back down the hallway he came through, leaving the Lin Keui assassin to handle the unconscious Kenshi.

* * *

Kenshi soon awoke in a dark room. He realized there were three people in the room, and thought to himself, _Shit._

Shang Tsung and Bi-Han stood before him, looking down on Kenshi with contempt in their eyes. Bi-Han punched Kenshi across the face and then pulled on his hair so that Kenshi was looking at Shang Tsung. Bi-Han said, "I hope I am redeemed for my incompetence earlier today, master."

Shang Tsung nodded and motioned him to leave. When Bi-Han was gone, he took off Kenshi's blindfold, revealing his eyes. The were nearly bone white, with the exception of a faint blue color that was once where his iris was. His pupils, however, had long since disappeared. They weren't as bad as Scorpion's eyes, but he still hated them. Shang Tsung tucked the blindfold back into a pocket in his suit. He said, "Enjoy your stay in my prison, Kenshi. You will be feed at least once a day. Granted, all it is, is a single piece off bread, but it's better than nothing."

He pulled don Kenshi's hair, making the blind swordsman look up at him again. "I still need you alive for the final round," Shang Tsung said as he left the room. The door was closed again, shrouding the room in darkness once again.

Kenshi closed his eyes, hating it when he was without his blindfold.

Then he realized he still wasn't alone.

Someone said, "Hey, buddy. What's been happening in the world lately. I've been in here for about a week."

Kenshi looked to his left, sensing someone in a white, long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. He replied, "We were here to stop Shang Tsung. We got the informantion on the tournament from Johnny Cage, just days before he was murdered."

He heard the man laugh. The man said, "Johnny Cage isn't dead."

Kenshi raised an eyebrow and asked, "How would you know?"

"Because," replied the man, "I-"

"Hey!" shouted a guard outside. "You shut up out there or else I'm gonna come in and beat the living shit out of you!"

The man stood up as much as he could with his hands chained to the floor and taunted back, "Bring it, bitch! I'll drop you before you can lay a hand on me!"

A guard came in the room with a bat and started beating on the man.

Kenshi could hear the man's grunts, yet he still did not scream. He could also hear the "whacks" the bat made. For once, Kenshi was glad he couldn't see.

* * *

"Where the hell is he," asked Kung Lao.

Scorpion and Smoke were in Stryker's room, looking after him, when Kenshi went missing. They had expected Kenshi to meet them in Stryker's room after Bi-Han had broken into Smoke's room. After he escaped (and they calmed Scorpion down), they told each other to meet in Stryker's room.

That was several hours ago.

Now that they were waiting for Kenshi, they had nothing better to do but stand there and twiddle their thumbs.

That's when they heard the knock on the door. Smoke got up and said, "I'll get it." He took out Stryker's pistol and walked up to the door.

When he opened the door, Raiden stood behind it.

Kung Lao said, "About fucking time you showed up."

Raiden said, "I apologize for now seeing any of you for a week, but I've been busy trying to evade… the Lin Keui."

Smoke noticed the pause and said, "Why did you hesitate?"

Raiden rubbed the back of his neck and said, "That's not important right now. What is important is that Shang Tsung has captured Kenshi and is planning to kill him along with the other prisoner."

Scorpion asked, "Who is the other prisoner?"

Raiden rubbed his chin and finally replied, "I have no idea. But, he's been there since before the tournament even started."

Kung Lao asked, "It doesn't matter who he is, all that matters is that we find both of them, and get them the hell out of there."

Scorpion nodded and Smoke stood up. He looked at Raiden and said, "Who are you again?"

Raiden looked over and replied, "You can call me Raiden."

Smoke rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. Don't tell me, 'Raiden'."

Smoke walked out of the room, making sure to check on Stryker. Scorpion stood up as well and announced, "I'm leaving."

Kung Lao waved Scorpion off, although the Shirai Ryu assassin was already gone. Raiden looked around Stryker's room, and said, "This place is... quaint."

Kung Lao nodded. He looked at Raiden and asked, "Do you know where Kenshi and this other guy is?"

Raiden replied, "I have an idea of where they are at, but nothing exact as of this moment."

Kung Lao sighed. He looked over to Stryker, who was breathing at a steady rate, and said, "You're really him, aren't you?"

Raiden raised an eyebrow and asked, "Excuse me?"

Kung Lao stood up and said, "You're really a god, aren't you? That's how you keep finding us."

Raiden looked to the floor and said, "Yes. I really am Raiden. Although, Decon City doesn't believe me."

Kung Lao raised an eyebrow. Just as he was about to speak, Raiden said, "When I first landed on Earth, I found myself in an insane asylum. Apparently, they just take new patients without even questioning how the hell they got in their fences. They subjected me to torture, going as far as to wrap a sheet of paper dipped in freezing waters around me. Throughout my stay, before I broke out of there with the help of a friend, I constantly bleed when they injected me with... something."

Kung Lao asked, "What's so bad about that?"

Raiden snapped his fingers and said, "Give me your hat."

Kung Lao looked at his hat behind him and asked, "Why?"

Raiden took the hat before Kung Lao could stop him. Raiden slowly pierced his arm with the blade. Kung Lao expected the blood to flow out regularly, but, instead, blue liquid came out. After about five seconds, Raiden stopped and gave Kung Lao his hat back. Kung Lao asked, "Is that your blood?"

Raiden nodded and said, "They didn't even bother to ask about it."

Scorpion came into the door and said, "Shang Tsung wants everybody to come to the arena."

Kung Lao nodded and said, "I'll be there." He got up, looked to Raiden, and said, "I hope you will stay and help us, Raiden."

The hat-bearing man said, "Sadly, I must go. Shang Tsung does not know I am here."

The two fighters were about to leave, but Kung Lao asked, "What does a god want with Shang Tsung?"

Raiden stood up and said, "There is more about this tournament than you know of, Kung Lao."

He held up his hand and a bolt of lightning shot down on his hand. Scorpion and Kung Lao shielded their eyes from the blinding light. When they moved their arms, they saw that he was gone. Kung Lao took over. He pulled out a flask and said, "Let's drink to the fact that we just met a god."

Scorpion said, "What the hell happened while Smoke and I were gone?"

* * *

Shang Tsung looked over the remaining fighters. Stryker and Kenshi were gone. Ermac and Horbuckle were dead, and Baraka was in his room, feeling no need to attend the tournament. But Shang Tsung wasn't going to have a fight today. He held out his arms and shouted, "Warriors!"

Kano retorted, "Bit theatric, mate?"

The old man looked down on the Black Dragon criminal and said, "Anyway, I have decided that I'll give you all a special treat." He snapped his fingers and two Lin Keui warriors appeared from behind him. Bi-Han followed. Shang Tsung whispered into his ears, "Get the prisoners." Bi-Han nodded and motioned for the two Lin Keui to follow him. Shang Tsung turned his attention back towards the competitors and said, "I have two men who will fight to the death in a few minutes. They were taken prisoner. Now they will die."

The Lin Keui returned with two men with bags on their heads. The right man was dressed in black armor, altering the Red Team as to who it was.

Kenshi.

The Lin Keui took the bag off his head, letting Kenshi breath. He look shook his head, trying to get rid of the dizzy spell. The man next to him was squirming around. He said, "Will you get me untied already and let me fight my pal to the death so that I can get out of here?"

Shang Tsung said, "In do time. Right now-"

"Yeah, yeah yeah," said the man. "I know what you're gonna say. 'Warriors,'" he said in an terrible Shang Tsung impersonation, "'let us watch these two fight to the death while we sit there and eat our fucking popcorn!' How about you kill me first, eh?"

Bi-Han punched the man in the back of the head, saying, "Be quiet, fool! No one interrupts the master!"

"Fuck you!"

Bi-Han had enough and ripped the mask off his face. Scorpion's eyes went wide, showing his surprise at who the man was. _But, he's dead,_ thought the Shirai Ryu assassin.

The man smiled and kneed Bi-Han in the groin. He threw the rope down and looked at everyone. He smirked and said to Bi-Han...

"You just got Caged."

* * *

A/N: Suprise! Don't worry, I'll explain it more next chapter. Until then, enjoy!


End file.
